Embodiments herein generally relate to printing devices and more particularly to a system that adjusts the position of a cleaning blade within printing devices relative to the surface of a component that is being cleaned.
Cleaning blades are commonly used within printing devices to remove excess material from various surfaces, such as photoreceptor belts. Cleaning blades, whether interference or force loaded, have traditionally maintained a static position against the cleaning surface. The position of the blade is chosen to optimize cleaning latitude, filming control, photoreceptor wear, and blade life. These are often competing goals and all are impacted by variations in operating conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, component age, job length, paper type, cleaning surface friction, environment contaminants, image density, and area coverage). Ideally, the cleaning blade critical parameters, blade load, and working angle, would be adjusted to compensate for movement of the optimum setting based on varying operating conditions.
Cleaning blades are sometimes located and supported on pairs of locator pins positioned at the ends of the blade holder. With embodiments herein, one or both of the locator pins has the ability to rotate off-center from the axis. This off-center rotation repositions the blade holder. By selection of the pins to be rotated and placing the pins within slots or circular holes, the blade can be rotated and translated relative to the cleaning surface. Through control of the locator pin rotation, the blade load and working angle can be adjusted as desired. When implemented in a system with operation sensors, this blade parameter adjustment mechanism can dynamically respond to changes in operating conditions to maintain optimum performance.
One exemplary printing device embodiment herein comprises a component that has a surface to be cleaned. A cleaning blade assembly is included within the printing device, and the cleaning blade assembly is positioned to contact the surface to be cleaned. There is a first opening within the cleaning blade assembly and a first pin within the first opening. In some embodiments this first opening can comprise a slot and in other embodiments, the slot can have an arc shape. There is also a second opening within the cleaning blade assembly, and a second pin within the second opening. The first and second pins connect the cleaning blade assembly to the printing device.
The first pin has a cam surface that is rounded and is off-center with respect to the axis of the first pin. The cam surface is parallel to the axis of the first pin and is positioned within the first opening, such that rotation of the first pin within the first opening causes the cleaning blade assembly to move in a direction perpendicular to (toward or away from) the axis of the first pin. This direction is an arc movement in some embodiments.
The cleaning blade assembly has a first end and a second end, and the second end of the cleaning blade assembly makes contact with the surface to be cleaned. The first opening is positioned closer to the first end of the cleaning blade assembly relative to the position of the second opening. In, other words, the first opening is positioned relatively closer to the first end of the cleaning blade assembly and the second opening is positioned relatively closer to the second end of the cleaning blade assembly.
With these relative positions of the first and second openings, the rotation of the first pin, and associated movement of the cleaning blade assembly with respect to the axis of the first pin, cause the cleaning blade assembly to rotate around the axis of the second pin. Thus, the rotation of the first pin within the first opening causes the second end of the cleaning blade assembly to move relative to (toward or away from) the surface to be cleaned.
Some embodiments can include an actuator that is connected to the first pin and that rotates the first pin. The rotation of the first pin within the first opening by the actuator therefore causes the cleaning blade assembly to move relative to the surface to be cleaned. Further, a controller is connected to the actuator, and the controller determines when the actuator rotates the first pin and how much the first pin should be rotated. The controller operates the actuator to move the cleaning blade assembly relative to the surface to be cleaned to maximize cleaning performance of the cleaning blade assembly on the surface to be cleaned.
In other embodiments, the positions of the first pin and the second pin can be switched. Therefore, in these embodiments, the cam surfaced first pin is closer to the second end of the cleaning blade assembly, relative to the second pin. In such embodiments, rotation of the first pin also causes the second end of the cleaning blade assembly to move relative to the surface to be cleaned; however, the geometry of the movement of the second end of the cleaning blade assembly is different, which can be useful for certain devices.
In further embodiments, both the first pin and the second pin can each have the cam surface that is rounded and is off-center with respect to the axis of the pin. In such embodiments, the two pins can be rotated independently (or in common) in order to achieve many different types of movement of the second end of the cleaning blade assembly with respect to the surface of the component to be cleaned.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.